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U.S. OPEN

September 6, 2009

Flavia Pennetta

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

F. PENNETTA/V. Zvonareva
3-6, 7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. As you played so many match points in this crucial game in the second set, did it get easier? Harder? Same? What was that like?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, in the beginning I -- when they told me like I had six match point I was just thinking like three or four. Not too many. I didn't take the count when I was playing.
But in that point I just was playing very aggressive. Just anyway the match, it's almost over, so it's better to play aggressive and not wait. I just was thinking on that.

Q. Do you feel like you waited until that point to bring out your most aggressive tennis? Because she was doing some dictating before that.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, not really. In that point I was much more aggressive, but not in -- I think in all match it was like sometimes aggressive and sometimes waiting. I was waiting too much for her mistake.
Most of the time I have ball for go to the net, and I always go back and start again the point. So maybe in Los Angeles it was more to that aggressive is in that case, you know, go more to the net.
Today I was really slow in the beginning, and then starting to play a little bit better.

Q. How did you deal with playing in the big stadium?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: It's nice (smiling). Exciting, you know. So high. The court is not that big, but it's huge, so, so high you know, so many people.
A lot of Italian. The crowd helping a lot today, you know. It was nice, very nice.

Q. So could you enjoy it the whole time, or did it make you a little bit nervous?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. No. Last year I was more nervous. This year maybe because I play more matches in the big stadium, so I starting to be used to.

Q. Outside of Italy, do you feel an Italian presence here maybe more than other stops on the tour?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Press?

Q. No, fans.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Fans, the thing is, you can find Italian people everywhere. In Los Angeles was so many Italian people there. Toronto was the same. Maybe New Haven was the normal one.
But here there are a lot of Italian people. There is Little Italy, people from Naples, from the south. Yeah, I feel it.

Q. How is the popularity of women's tennis in Italy since you're a top 10 player?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: You have to ask to them. I think it's better. They can give you more.

Q. Coming into this tournament, it's not like last year. This time you've been playing so well, you're top 10, you won the big U.S. hardcourt tournament. Maybe there's expectations you that you should reach the quarterfinals. Do you feel that?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: You know, not really, because when I start in Los Angeles I was thinking I have to play good because I have quarterfinal in US Open. But I starting play better and better. I won the tournament there, and then Cincinnati semifinal.
So the pressure was out completely. I was just try to play my tennis and that's it. Doesn't feel a lot of tension. Maybe in the first match. It's always like the first one is the worst, you know. There are so many -- you think so much and the pressure is so high.
But I didn't breathe too much in the first one. (Laughter.)

Q. So after the tiebreaker when she starts getting very angry, did you sense that? How did it affect you?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: She's always like this. I know her. She can cry on the court, and then next point she fight and she play good tennis.

Q. But this one might have been a little different when she was taking the bandages.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: The tape. She was just angry because she lost the tiebreak. With six match point, it's quite normal.

Q. I know you had a couple wins over Venus, but Serena is maybe at a different level.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Well, she's, I think, the best player, you know. She's strong. Today she was playing unbelievable against Hantuchova. I have to play very aggressive and very good for beat her.
But I don't have nothing to lose, so I can go on the court and enjoy and try to play my tennis and that's it. I just play one time against her in Miami two years ago. I lost 6-3 in the third and it was a pretty good match, so we will see.

Q. What about the injury? How bad is it? Or is it just something small?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Me?

Q. You.
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No, I'm just tired. I'm really tired. My back, it hurts, but I think today I gonna have one day off. So I can just practice 45 minutes and then nothing more.

Q. So the leg was cramping?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: Yes, a little bit. It's coming everything from the back because it was too tight.

Q. Did to get a little bit chilly in the end?
FLAVIA PENNETTA: No. No, not at all.

End of FastScripts

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